---
Chapter 166: The Mirror of the Last Question
---
Act I: A Chamber of Still Shadows
The Gallery opened into a chamber where every mirror seemed to lean inward, forming a circle around a single, silent surface.
Ne Job stepped forward, Twinkle buzzing faintly, its hum uncertain.
Ao Bing muttered, "This feels like the end."
Taiyi Zhenren scribbled quickly. "The mirror here… it waits for something."
At the center stood a mirror dark and unmarked, its surface refusing to glow.
It spoke in a voice quiet yet piercing:
> "I am the Mirror of the Last Question. I hold what is asked when all else is answered."
---
Act II: The Weight of Inquiry
The interns gazed into its surface.
Visions unfolded, showing questions that had haunted them.
Ao Bing saw himself asking if strength alone could protect.
Taiyi Zhenren saw himself wondering if wisdom without compassion was enough.
Ne Job saw himself questioning whether miracles mattered if they were forgotten.
Twinkle pulsed faintly, resonating with the silence.
The mirror whispered:
> "To guard me, you must ask without fear."
---
Act III: The Mask's Intrusion
From the shadows, the Mask of Misrule hissed.
> "Questions are mine to twist. I will turn inquiry into doubt, and doubt into chaos."
The Mirror of Endless Deception flickered, shards gathering again.
The Mask reached toward the Last Question, trying to drown its silence in endless uncertainty.
Ao Bing staggered. "I can't find the answer!"
Taiyi Zhenren trembled. "My scrolls contradict themselves!"
Ne Job steadied them. "The question itself is truth. The answer is how we live."
---
Act IV: The Trial of the Question
The Mirror of the Last Question spoke:
> "Intern, to protect me, you must ask."
Ne Job gazed into its silent surface.
He saw himself faltering, afraid to face what he did not know.
He whispered:
> "I ask. Even if I do not know, I seek. Even if I fail, I learn."
The mirror glowed faintly, its silence breaking into a single, steady hum.
Twinkle pulsed strongly, harmonizing with the glow.
Ao Bing's fists steadied.
Taiyi Zhenren's scrolls cleared.
The Mask recoiled, his corruption faltering.
---
Act V: The Clash
The Mask screamed, hurling shards of deception.
Illusions tried to twist questions into despair, scattering the interns into confusion.
Ao Bing staggered. "My strength is meaningless!"
Taiyi Zhenren trembled. "My wisdom is hollow!"
Ne Job stood firm. "Questions are not despair. They are the path to truth."
The awakened mirrors — Patience, Friendship, Courage, Sorrow, Endless Paths, Forgotten Names, Silent Echoes, Shattered Promises, Hidden Truths, Eternal Doubt, Living Light, Boundless Hope, Unbroken Unity, Eternal Harmony, Final Resolve, Infinite Resolve — joined with the Last Question.
Their glow struck the Mask's illusions.
Confusion became clarity.
Deception dissolved.
Twinkle hummed, resonating with the Miracle Registry.
Ao Bing laughed, fierce and kind.
Taiyi Zhenren footnoted every question restored.
Ne Job stood firm, inquiry and truth united.
---
Act VI: The Mirror's Gift
The Mirror of the Last Question calmed, its surface shimmering with quiet radiance.
It whispered:
> "Intern, the last question is not chaos. It is the beginning of wisdom. Guard it well."
Ne Job bowed.
Twinkle pulsed softly.
The Gallery shimmered, stable once more.
The Mask of Misrule retreated into the shadows, his voice echoing faintly:
> "You may resist questions today. But doubt always waits."
The Gallery fell silent.
The mirrors glowed.
And Ne Job walked on, ready for what lay ahead.